The Association between Social Engagement, Loneliness, and Risk of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Penninkilampi, Ross; Casey, Anne-Nicole; Singh, Maria Fiatarone; Brodaty, Henry

doi:10.3233/jad-180439

Cited by 270 publications

(285 citation statements)

References 63 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

268

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…By contrast, two meta-analyses on loneliness and cognitive function/dementia did find evidence for such longitudinal association. 49,51 Furthermore, our finding that verbal fluency was not associated with loneliness and social isolation over time is supported by some 10 but not all 6,17 prior literature. The fact that few studies reported findings for loneliness and social isolation simultaneously together with the high variability across studies in terms of conceptual and measurement approaches may account for the observed heterogeneity.…”

Section: Summary Of Results and Significance Of Findingssupporting

confidence: 69%

“…For instance, Griffin et al found that loneliness correlated with lower cognitive function whereas social isolation was longitudinally associated with worse cognitive performance in older Americans (n = 6654). By contrast, two meta‐analyses on loneliness and cognitive function/dementia did find evidence for such longitudinal association . Furthermore, our finding that verbal fluency was not associated with loneliness and social isolation over time is supported by some but not all prior literature.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 64%

“…Furthermore, higher social isolation was associated with lower scores in the composite cognitive score, verbal fluency, and forward digit span but not with a faster rate of decline at 3‐year follow‐up. Sensitivity analyses further showed that the effect of loneliness and social isolation on cognition remained unchanged after the exclusion of individuals with depression, supporting the notion that loneliness and social isolation are not merely makers of depressive symptoms . On the other hand, loneliness as a continuous variable was associated with lower scores in the composite cognitive score, immediate recall, and verbal fluency and predicted changes in two out of six cognitive tests.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

“…Sensitivity analyses further showed that the effect of loneliness and social isolation on cognition remained unchanged after the exclusion of individuals with depression, supporting the notion that loneliness and social isolation are not merely makers of depressive symptoms. 49,50 On the other hand, loneliness as a continuous variable was associated with lower scores in the composite cognitive score, immediate recall, and verbal fluency and predicted changes in two out of six cognitive tests. One possible explanation is that loneliness may negatively impact on cognitive processes only when participants exhibited loneliness in a moderate or severe intensity.…”

Section: Summary Of Results and Significance Of Findingsmentioning

confidence: 94%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Are loneliness and social isolation associated with cognitive decline?

Lara

Caballero

Rico-Uribe

et al. 2019

Int J Geriat Psychiatry

228

168

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective This study aimed to examine the association of loneliness and social isolation on cognition over a 3‐year follow‐up period in middle‐ and older‐aged adults. Methods Data from a Spanish nationally representative sample were analyzed (n = 1691; aged 50 years or older). Loneliness, social isolation, and cognition (immediate recall, delayed recall, verbal fluency, forward digit span, backward digit span, and a composite cognitive score) were assessed both at baseline and at follow‐up. Adjusted generalized estimating equations models were performed. Results Loneliness was significantly associated with lower scores in the composite cognitive score, immediate and delayed recall, verbal fluency, and backward digit span (B = −0.14 to B = −3.16; P < .05) and with a more rapid decline from baseline to follow‐up in two out of six cognitive tests. Higher social isolation was associated with lower scores in the composite cognitive score, verbal fluency, and forward digit span (B = −0.06 to B = −0.85; P < .05). The effect of loneliness and social isolation on cognition remained significant after the exclusion of individuals with depression. Conclusions Both loneliness and social isolation are associated with decreased cognitive function over a 3‐year follow‐up period. The development of interventions that include the enhancement of social participation and the maintenance of emotionally supportive relationships might contribute to cognitive decline prevention and risk reduction.

show abstract

Section: Summary Of Results and Significance Of Findingssupporting

confidence: 69%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 64%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

Section: Summary Of Results and Significance Of Findingsmentioning

confidence: 94%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Are loneliness and social isolation associated with cognitive decline?

Lara

Caballero

Rico-Uribe

et al. 2019

Int J Geriat Psychiatry

228

168

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…1,2 Thus healthcare reform is continuing to move forward. [3][4][5] China's government decided in 2016 to deepen its ongoing national health reform to achieve "Healthy China 2030." President Xi Jinping announced the Healthy China (HC 2030) blueprint, a bold declaration that gave priority to public health over economic and social development.…”

Section: The Sanming Three-in-one Model: a Potentially Useful Model Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reply to: Older People's Loneliness in Clinical Work

Perissinotto

Holt‐Lunstad

Periyakoil

et al. 2019

J American Geriatrics Society

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Association of Social Isolation With Hospitalization and Nursing Home Entry Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ImportanceSocial isolation is associated with adverse health outcomes, yet its implications for hospitalization and nursing home entry are not well understood.ObjectiveTo evaluate whether higher levels of social isolation are associated with overnight hospitalization, skilled nursing facility stays, and nursing home placement among a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults after adjusting for key health and social characteristics, including loneliness and depressive symptoms.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis observational cohort study included 7 waves of longitudinal panel data from the Health and Retirement Study, with community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older interviewed between March 1, 2006, and June 30, 2018 (11 517 respondents; 21 294 person-years). Data were analyzed from May 25, 2022, to May 4, 2023.Main Outcomes and MeasuresSocial isolation was measured with a multidomain 6-item scale (range, 0-6, in which a higher score indicates greater isolation). Multivariate logistic regressions were performed on survey-weighted data to produce national estimates for the odds of self-reported hospitalization, skilled nursing facility stays, and nursing home placement over time.ResultsA total of 57% of this study’s 11 517 participants were female, 43% were male, 8.4% were Black, 6.7% were Hispanic or Latino, 88.1% were White, 3.5% were other (“other” includes American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, and other race, which has no further breakdown available because this variable was obtained directly from the Health and Retirement Study), and 58.2% were aged 65 to 74 years. Approximately 15% of community-dwelling older adults in the US experienced social isolation. Higher social isolation scores were significantly associated with increased odds of nursing home placement (odds ratio, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.21-3.32) and skilled nursing facility stays (odds ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.06-1.28) during 2 years. With each point increase in an individual’s social isolation score, the estimated probability of nursing home placement or a skilled nursing facility stay increased by 0.5 and 0.4 percentage points, respectively, during 2 years. Higher levels of social isolation were not associated with 2-year hospitalization rates.Conclusions and RelevanceThis cohort study found that social isolation was a significant risk factor for nursing home use among older adults. Efforts to deter or delay nursing home entry should seek to enhance social contact at home or in community settings. The design and assessment of interventions that optimize the social connections of older adults have the potential to improve their health trajectories and outcomes.

show abstract

The Association between Social Engagement, Loneliness, and Risk of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cited by 270 publications

References 63 publications

Are loneliness and social isolation associated with cognitive decline?

Are loneliness and social isolation associated with cognitive decline?

Reply to: Older People's Loneliness in Clinical Work

Association of Social Isolation With Hospitalization and Nursing Home Entry Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About